Patrushev: US Aim Is To Weaken Russia

The day before the “Minsk meeting,” at the highest level, to settle the situation in Ukraine, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev gave an interview to “Rossiyskaya Gazeta.” In Nikolai Platonovich’s opinion, the U.S. has decided to overcome the financial/economic crisis that began in 2008 the same way it did during WWII — at the expense of others. In this strategy, special attention is paid to undermining Russia’s economy, first and foremost our country’s financial system.

What role is assigned to Ukraine in this strategy?

Nikolai Patrushev: The situation in Ukraine is being used as a pretext for the active “containment” of our country. For the U.S., Ukraine is not interesting in and of itself; their aim is to weaken our position. The Americans are trying to draw the Russian Federation into an interstate military conflict, to bring about a change of government through the Ukrainian events, and ultimately to dismember our country.

American experts, in particular former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, think the territories that wound up “under Moscow’s rule” are too vast. In their opinion, such a distribution of natural resources is “unfair,” and it’s necessary to provide “other states” “free access” to them. The Americans are certain that other countries, especially countries that neighbor Russia and who, as a coalition, support grievances to that effect should use the same line of reasoning. As in the case of Ukraine, they propose solving problems at Russia’s expense but without taking its interests into account.

Recently in the Baltics and in Ukraine, Nazis have stepped up their activity and are strengthening their position in Western Europe. Is it possible these forces could come to power?

Nikolai Patrushev: It would be possible only with support or, at a minimum, sympathy from the outside. Here one finds analogies as well.

The policy of appeasement pursued by Western governments in the 1930s with respect to Nazi Germany led to a definitive degradation of the Versailles system and a radical change in the balance of power in Europe.

In Germany, they’ve turned a blind eye to fascism over the past several years. The easing of restrictions put in place after WWI allowed Hitler to legalize the army and equip it with modern weaponry. Most likely his ideas about asserting the domination of the German nation at the expense of eastern territories were met by understanding among Western politicians, who in practice encouraged the fascists’ aggression. As a result, the latter became increasingly brazen, conquering the expanse and subjugating peoples. The effort to stop fascism succeeded only after the United Nations realized the global nature of the threat and the cost of enormous exertion and sacrifice.

It’s a similar situation now. The rebirth of Nazism in the Baltics and in Ukraine is again taking place with the complete connivance of Europe and even instigation by the U.S.

Read the full interview with Nikolai Patrushev in tomorrow’s [Feb. 11] edition of “Rossiyskaya Gazeta.”